Stenographer&#39;s scale



SePt- 21 l937- B. FoRNARoLl STENOGRAPHERS SCALE Filed July 12, 1935 fx o Patented. Sept.v 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to measuring scales and has particular reference to scales of this character designed for use by stenographers and typists.

Its principal object is to provide a device of the character referred to, which will facilitate the placing, with absolute certainty, either centrally or in any desired position, of typewritten matter upon a sheet of paper, and enable a stenographer or typist to turn out neater and more accurate work in a shorter time.

Another object is to provide such a device which is simple in design, easy to construct and inexpensive to manufacture, yet durable and lasting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple to use and will eliminate the mental calculations heretofore required.

The invention consists in the improved design and arrangement of parts, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter, the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

.In the accompanying drawing which constitutes a part of my disclosure, I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the side of the device which constitutes the line spacing scale.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reverse side of the device, which constitutes the letter or flgure spacing scale.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the line spacing scale shown in Fig. 1, with the ribbon in an altered position.

Although the embodiment herein disclosed has been referred specifically to typewriters, it will be understood that by appropriate alterations in the units of measurement, the device can be adapted to similar work in various fields, such as drawing and printing.

Referring now to the drawing Fig. 1, it will be seen that the embodiment illustrated herein is much like the common ruler, having Aan elongated, thin, and narrow body member A. However, running lengthwise and around the ends of such body member is a continuous ribbon B, retained on the body A of the scale by the flanges C, formed integrally with the body. I propose to make the body A out of material such as celluloid or sheet metal, with the edges bent inwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to form the aforesaid flanges C, but with enough clearance D to permit (Cl. 23S-70) the ribbon B to slide freely between the anges andthe adjacent portion of the body. In Fig. 4 it will be seen that the body of the device is formed from two pieces of material secured together by any conventional method along the surfaces, indicated by the line Y-Z, each having two of the aforesaid flanges formed thereon. To

. facilitate the sliding of the ribbon B into various positions, I propose to smooth and round the ends of the body A along the lines indicated by G (Figs. l, 2 and 5) and provide a tab H (Figs. 2 and 3) of some tough material, which is affixed to the ribbon B, preferably at its seam J (Fig. 2).

In order to serve as guards and prevent objects pressing against the ribbon B and obstructing or hindering its movement, the anges C may be made longer than the body portion of the scale, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring to Fig. l which shows the line spa'cing scale of my device, it will be seen that one of the flanges, indicated by the letter K, does not extend the full length of the body A, and instead of being rounded it terminates in a straight edge, which constitutes the index line L, (Figs. 1 and 5). A column of numerals, M (Figs. 1 and 5) is inscribed on the flange K. These numerals are in consecutive order and start with the numeral 1 Just below the aforementioned index line L. Each numeral is separated from the next by a reference line N (Figs. 1 and 5) which lines are spaced a distance equal to that occupied by a line of type.

The aforementioned ribbon B is slidably arranged around the body A of the device, its ends joined in the seam J where the aforesaid tab H is secured. By using the tab as a flngerhold, the ribbon may be slid around the body member in an endless fashion, the flanges C preventing the said ribbon from slipping off the body member.

Underneath the flange K, the ribbon B is printed with an inverse column of numerals indicated by O in the portion of Fig. l where the flange K is shown 'cut away. There are the same numerals in this column as appear on the flange K. However, the highest number, 70, appears just above the aforementioned index line L and the rest are degressively listed until numeral 1 ends the column under the 69 of the column on the flange K.

Parallel with this inverse column of numerals, and also printed upon the ribbon B but in the central or exposed portion, is another and inverse column of numerals P (Figs. 1 and 5). This column has just half the number of numerals 30 ing measured. The numeral so read 35 sume there are 10 lines in this group.

l meral of the column 0,

25 any given area of contained in the columns O and K. Hence its highest numeral will be exactly half the highestnumber of the described columns, in this case one half of '70 or 35. The numerals in the column P are degressive and are separated by the dividing lines R (Figs. 1 and 5) which are spaced precisely twice the distance apart of the aforementioned reference lines N of the numerals on ange K. It is very important that when the highest nuin this case 70, appears Just above the aforementioned index line L, the dividing line above the highest numeral of the column of numerals P coincide with the said index line L. In this position, it will be seen that ld tor every numeral in the column P, there are two numerals in the column of numerals inscribed. on the flange K; and that every other reference line of iiange K coincides with successive dividing lines of the column P.

20 If the device be placed upon a sheet of paper,

with the line spacing scale just described uppermost, it will be observed that the column of numerals on the flange K will indicate the number of lines of typewriting which can be placed on the said paper. This is accomplished by coinciding the index line L with the top of the area to be scaled and reading the numeral on the ange K Whose corresponding dividing line is at the bottom of the area begives the exact number of typewritten lines which can be accommodated in the measured space.

Now supposing it is desired to vcenter a group of typewritten lines on a sheet of paper. Let us as- First we measure the paper on which the typewriting is to be done by the method described above. If the available clear space on the sheet should be 46 line spaces according to the scale, the ribbon B is rotated around the body member A by means of the aforesaid tab H until the numeral 46 of the column O under iiange K appears just above the index line L. This position of the ribbon is indicated in Fig. 5. Since we have l0 lines to center in the available space, We locate the numeral in the column inscribed on the iiange K and then find the numeral in the column P directly opposite thereto. This we iind to be 19, designating the line on which the typewriting should begin. By again placing the device upon the paper and using the column of numerals on iiange K for measuring, a mark may be made to indicate Where the typing should begin; or by using the ratchet device on a typewriter roll the typist may count 19 spaces after the paper has been placed in the machine. It will be observed that the writing will occupy the 10 lines in the center of the clear space, being lines 19-28 inclusive, leaving 18 lines blank above and 18 lines blank below.

Should there be an uneven number of line spaces available on the paper, for example fortyseven, and we still want to center ten lines of typing in that space, the resulting division or the space above and below the typing would vary by one line of space because of the difliculty in splitting the typewriter spaces. In this situation, the ribbon would be moved so that the numeral 47 would occupy the position now occupied by the numeral 46 in Fig. 5. At the same time, the space designated by the numeral 19 would only be displaced the distance equal to the space indicated by the numeral 9, but the half of space 19 would still remain opposite the space 10 so that the starting point in the second position would be the same as heretofore described when 46 clear aoeaese spaces were available. if the typing were started on line 19 in the adjusted position there would be `18 blank spaces above and 19 spaces below the 10 lines of typewritten work. This is obvious when it is understood that we are measuring the number of typing spaces to be placed within a given area which is also measured in terms of typing spaces. If the available typing area is represented in terms of an uneven number of typing spaces, it will of necessity follow that an extra space either above or below the written subject matter will result. For practical purposes, however, the work would be sufliciently centered in the available area so that such a discrepancy would never be noticed as absolute accuracy in the division of the space above and below the typewritten work is not essential to the accomplishment of the result desired.

A unique feature of my invention lies in the relation between the column on the ange K and the column? on the ribbon. It is usual for stenographers and typists to work with sheets, such as omce letterheads, which are uniform as to the space within which Written material is to be placed. When doing work of this character, it will be seen that the typist need only set the ribbon once, with the numeral of the column O which represents the number of available line spaces on all of these uniform letterheads appearing just above the index line L. In this adjustment, the line on which to begin typing may be instantly determined for any given amount of material by referring to the numeral in column P which is opposite the numeral on the flange K corresponding to the number of given lines to be typewritten.

Referring to Fig. 2 which shows the i'lgure spacing scale, it is seen to beanalogous to the described line spacing scale. Corresponding to the index line L (Figs. 1 and 5) is the index line S. Inscribed on the ange having the index, is a row of numerals T, progressing from 1 to 140 with the numeral 1 adjacent to the said index S. Separating these numerals are the reference lines U spaced a distance equal to that occupied horizontally by a letter or figure ofa typewriting machine. Covered by the iiange inscribed with the row of numerals T is an inverse row of numerals V printed on the ribbon B, progressing from l (not shown) at the right hand side under the 139 of row T, to 140 which appears at the left of the index line S. This row of numerals is seen to bear the same relation to row T that column O (Fig. 1) of the line spacing scale bears to the column M inscribed on flange K. On the central visible portion of the ribbon B (Fig. 2) appears another row of inverse numerals W. This row has only half the number of figures as has the adjacent row V, hence its highest numeral is 70, being one half of 140 which is the number of gures in rows T and V and which appears at the left opposite the l and 2 of row T. The numerals in row W are separated by dividing lines X which are spaced exactly twice the distance between the dividing lines U of row T.

Another dierence between the line spacing scale illustrated in Fig. 1 and the gure spacing scale shown in Fig. 2 is that the numerals on the former are preferably arranged to facilitate their riety of purposes, its chief function being to fa-` cilitate the centering of aline of typewritten material on a sheet of paper. By placing the device adjacent a given line of such writing, with the index line S at the first figure of such line, the numeral in the row T opposite the last figure of such line will represent the number of typewriter spaces required by the line. The number of spaces available on a given sheet may be determined by using the row of numerals T in a similar manner described for using the column K in determining the number of typewrltten lines which may be placed in a given area. When the number of figure spacesavailable is thus determined, the ribbon B is rotated in the manner above described until the numeral of row V rep' resenting the number of such available figure spaces appears just tothe left of the index line S. The figure spacing scale is now set for centering typewritten lines in the space measured. By reading the numeral in the row W which is opposite the numeral in the row T representing the number of typewriter spaces required for the line` to be centered, we determine the number of spaces to indent before beginning to type the given line. The indenting may be done by means of the space bar in the conventional manner, or by measuring ofi! the necessary indentation directly on the paper using the row T scale of the device.

It will be seen that when a multiplicity of lines of typewritten material are to be centered on a given sheet, or when using a plurality of uniform sheets, the figure spacing scale needs but one setting and the required indentations for the different lines of material to be centered may be read at a glance.

The figure spacing scale is of particular value in determining the number of spaces in a given distance. This knowledge is useful in inserting words in blank spaces such as in filling out forms and data sheets. The T scale is used for this purpose, the same as when used to determine the available space across a page. Similarly, the vertical line spacing scale may be employed to determine the number of lines of typing which may be inserted between two typed items.

When typing from a manuscript or from dictation, the typist must first determine, approximately, the number of lines she will require for the material to be placed on one page. This may be done to a sumcient degree of accuracy by estimation after some practice. The method is to estimate the number of figure spaces rei quired for one page of shorthand or manuscript.

The width for the body of the typewritten material must rst be determined and the stops on the typewriter set accordingly by using the figure spacing scale as hereinbefore described. Now dividing the number of estimated figure spaces required for the material by the chosen width will give the number of lines of typewritten matter that will be on the finished sheet. By using the line spacing scale as described above, the stenographer or typist will know exactly where to commence the work. Thus it is apparent that before any typing is done, the typist will know whether the given material can be placed on a single page. If it appears that more lines are needed than can be conveniently accommodated on one page, it will be necessary to decide on a greater width and redetermine the number of lines required. If more material is to be typed than can be placed on one page, the device will have aided in making this apparent rn writing letters from handwritten matter or' shorthand notes the total number of lines required is first determined by adding the estimated number of lines required for the body of the letter to the number necessary for the heading, salutation, complimentary close, and signature, including the spaces to be skipped. Then the place to begin work on the sheet is determined by use of the line spacing scale and figure spacing scale of my device; thus insuring a perfectly centered letter.

Modifications of the embodiment herein disclosed are within the contemplation of my invention and are intended to be covered by the accompanying claims. One such variation is to provide two ribbons instead of the single ribbon B. On one ribbon would appear the numerals requisite to operation of the line measuring scale, being columns O and P of Fig. l; the other ribbon would have the numerals requisite to the ilgure spacing scale, being rows V and W of Fig. 2. These ribbons would be arranged side by side and around the body of the device similarly to the manner in which the ribbon B is shown, each being half as wide as the one shown. T'he advantage of such an arrangement would lie in the independent action of each scale enabling the setting of both scales for a certain size paper and leaving the device so adjusted, or one scale could be reset without disturbing the adjustment on the other.

Another variation would be to inscribe the numerals of the columns O and P on one side of a sliding member adapted to move relative to a body member having the column K by means of tongue and groove connections with a similar arrangement for the numerals of the ligure spacing scale.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stenographers scale comprising a rigid body member having inturned flanges disposed along each longitudinal edge, one of said flanges being shorter than the other, a flexible member arranged to travel longitudinally about said body member, a progression of characters on at least one of said flanges, and two degressions of characters on said flexible member, one of said degressions being arranged to travel under one of said flanges said progression and one of said degressions of characters indicating the measurement of spaces corresponding to the spaces made by a typewriter, said second degression having reference characters registering with the reference characters of said progression to indicate the starting line for centering a certain predetermined nurnber of lines of work as indicated by the corresponding numbers of said progression.

2. A stenographers scale comprising a rigid body member having inturned flanges disposed along each longitudinal edge, one of said flanges being shorter than the other, a progression of characters on the shorter flange, indicating the measurement of spaces on a typewriter, a flexible member arranged to travel longitudinally about said body member, and two degressions of characters on said flexible member, one of said degressions also indicating the measurement of spaces on a typewriter and being arranged to travel under and be hidden by said short flange, except adjacent one end of said short flange, said second degression having reference characters registering with the reference characters of said progression to indicate the starting line for centering a certain predetermined number or lines of work as indicated by the corresponding numbers of said progression.

3. A stenographers scale comprising a rigid body member having inturned flanges disposed along each longitudinal edge, one of said iianges being shorter than the other, a progression of equally spaced characters on the shorter ange, said charactersindicating the measurement of spaces corresponding to the spaces made by a typewriter, a exible member arranged to travel longitudinally about said body member, and two degressions of characters on said exible member, one o which degressions indicates the measurement of spaces similar to those indicated by said progression and, is arranged to travel under and be hidden by said short iiange, except adjacent one end of said short flange, said other degression having half as many characters as said first degression, said second degression having reference characters registering with the reference characters of said progression to indicate the starting line for centering a certain predetermined number of lines of work as indicated by the corresponding numbers of said progression.

4. A device for centering work to be typewritten comprising a rigid body member having inturned iianges along each longitudinal edge, one of said anges being shorter than the other, the short end being adapted to serve as an index, a progression of characters indicating the measurement of typewriter spaces on said vshort flange, a fiexibie member arranged to travel longitudinally about said body, two degressions of characters on said flexible member, one degression indicating spaces similar to the spaces indicated by said progression, the characters of said degression being arranged to successively register with said index. said `second degression Vhaving reference characters registering with the reference characters of said progression to indicate the starting line for centering a certain predetermined number of lines of work as indicated by the corresponding numbers of said progression.

BLANCHE FORNAROLI. 

